Last year was a massive year in terms of Per-Per-Click (hereinafter ‘PPC’) marketing. AdWords made way for Google Ads, there is a new interface at Google Ads and there were many new features in terms of targeting options, enhancements, features, and campaign types. What is 2019 going to bring for PPC marketing and what strategies should you be taking advantage of?
Strategy #1 – Focus on people
Far too often we find that PPC marketing is focused on keywords, let’s move on from that shall we? Now, this doesn’t mean that keywords are not important when it comes to PPC (because they are, and this will be true for the foreseeable future), but you should not overlook the human audience.
What this means is that you design and place your ad with a specific audience in mind – instead of merely relying on some keywords to improve your PPC strategy. Do a little bit of homework to determine your target audience before you decide to throw your money at some competitive keywords.
Strategy #2 – Diversify your channels
We know that the Internet is expanding daily, people are spending more time on different social media channels and websites. If you want to expand your audience, it is a good idea to look beyond Google and Bing and use the existing audience that other website may have. A few of the options to try out include LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. This is going to introduce your business to new prospects and should be an excellent way to generate more exposure.
Strategy #3 – Use the automation options that are available
Just a few short years ago, PPC automation was just in testing phases. Nowadays it is a powerful way to improve your campaign performance. The results that we are seeing in the automation options from Google especially are extraordinary.
If you want to make the most out of PPC automation, you need to make sure that those existing algorithms are working in your favor. This means that you need to identify your ideal audience, know your keywords, have the ability to write great ad copy, and are using conversion tracking.
This doesn’t mean that automation is ‘set it and forget it’. Even PPC automation is going to work best when you have human oversight. However, it can save you from having to do countless hours of mind-numbing work and improve the performance of your campaigns. This means that you are able to focus on building new landing pages, write copy or any other factor that an algorithm simply can’t handle yet.
Strategy #4 – Use retargeting
If you are not re-marketing or re-targeting yet, now is the time to start doing so. This means that you are showing your ads to people who have already visited your website at least once. This going to increase overall conversion rates and your ROI. Especially if you have an impulse product, this could be the perfect opportunity to get people to make that decision to buy.
Strategy #5 – Start using video
If you want to have a strategy for 2019, you cannot ignore social media. Video has emerged as the top type of mobile content. Given that more and more users are relying on a smartphone or tablet for their daily browsing, it should come as no surprise that this is something that you want to invest in.
With a video, you are able to show or demonstrate something that would normally take around 300 to 400 words. This means that in just 20 seconds of content, you are able to demonstrate value or a unique feature in less than a fraction of the time.
Strategy #6 – Embrace multi-channel campaigns
During tip #2, we already told you that there are a number of different channels that are worth looking out for. Relying on a single channel for your marketing purposes is no longer a viable option. Cross-channel advertising is becoming increasingly popular with companies everywhere. This is going to lead to more exposure, and probably more sales in the future.
